I 2 



NA TURE 



[June 



■i ' 



189: 



especially in males, as verj- well exemplified in some of the 

 commoner gnats (see Fig. 5, d, t), without feeling that they have 

 been developed in obedience to, and as a result of, some such 

 subtle and mtuilive power as this of teleiMthy. Kvery minute 

 ramification of the wonderfully delicate feelers of the male 

 mosquito, in all probability, pulsates in response to the piping 

 sounds which the female is known to produce, and doubtless 

 through considerable distance. 



There is ever)- justification for believing that all (he subtle 

 cosmic forces involved in the generation antl development of the 



y Ic. 4. — .\ntcnna of male Phcngodes with portion of ray. 

 (original). 



-Greatly enlarged 



highest are equally involved in the production and building up 

 of the lowest of organisms, and that the complesing and com- 

 pounding and specialisation of parts have gone on in ever)' 

 possible and conceivable direction, according to the siKcics. 

 The highly developed and delicate antenna- in the male 

 Chironomus, for instance, may l)e likened to an external brain, 

 its ramifying fibres corresponding to the highly complicated pro- 



Flo. 5. — S<>mc Anicniueof Ill'tccI* :rt, 'Idea polyphtmii-.. nialc, X 3: ^ antl 

 c lip of ihc ray* of fcimc— still more cnlarKcj ; ^/, ChironomUB X 6 ; e, 

 Mclion of Kame— ■<tlill more enlarged (original). 



cesies that ramify from the nerve cells in the internal brains of 

 higher animals, and respinding in a somewhat similar way lo 

 external impressions. While having no siirt of sym|)alhy with 

 the fiKilish n'llinns ihal the spiritualists proclaim, to edify or 

 terrify the gullible ami unscientific, I am Just as much 'lul of 

 .Hym|)athy «iili that class f)f materialists whf» refuse to re- 

 cognise that Ihiri- may be and are subtle psychical plieni)niena 

 licyond the rea< h of present ex|)erimental methods. The one 

 claw lo<i readily assumes su|>ernatural |K>wer to explain 

 abnormal phenomena ; (he other denies the abnormal, Ifecause 

 il, likewiM:, i» |>ast our limited understanding. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge. — The Harkness Scholarship in Cieologj- has 

 been awarded to .-Vrthur William Rogers, of Christ's College. 



Mr. J. S. Cardiner, of Caius College, has been chosen to 

 occupy the University's table at the Naples Zoological Station 

 for six months from (jctober I. 



The Newall Observer re)Torts that the fine spectroscope 

 designed for use with the Newall Telescope is now ready, and 

 that the preliminary trials of it have been satisfactory. The 

 mounting has l)een made by the Cambridge Scientific Instrument 

 Company, and the optical parts by Mr. IJrashear, of .Mleghany. 



Mr. F. Darwin, .Mr. W. G. I'. Fllis. I'rof. Liveing. Mr. T. 

 B. Wood, Prof. M. Foster, Mr. \. Eichholz, Mr. .V. F. 

 Shijiley, Mr. C. Warburlon, Prof. Hughes, Mr. P. Lake, Mr. 

 O. P. Fisher, Mr. J- Owen, Mr. K. Menzies, and Mr. C. H. 

 Fisher, have been appointed Fxaminers in the Science and .\rt 

 of .'Vgriculture for the University Diploma. The examination 

 will be held in July. 



Sir David L. Salomons, Bart., has founded, in connection with 

 Caius College, a Scholarship in Kngineering. The first award 

 will be made in October. The value of the Scholarship is 

 £\o a year for three years. The Salomons Scholar must become 

 a candidate for the Mechanical Sciences Tripos. Applications 

 for further information should Ijc made to the Tutors of Caius 

 College. 



The Conference on Technical Fducalion held at the Society 

 of Arts last Thursday, resulted in the adoption of the following 

 resolution : — " That in the opinion of this meeting it is desir.ible 

 that provision should be made for examination and inspection in 

 the subjects of instruction luulcrtaken by technical instruction 

 committees but not at i)resent included in the schemes of the 

 Science and .Art Department, the Cily and (luilds of London 

 Institute, and the Society of .Vrts, and that with the object of 

 giving effect lo the same this conference recommends that a 

 representative committee be appointed lo draw up a report and 

 prepare recommendations on the whole subject." 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 



A mcriiaii Journal of Siiiiue. June. — The preparation of per- 

 chloric aciil anil its application lothe determination of potassium. 

 by D. .Mbert Krcider. The difticulty attending the removal 

 of the potas.sium in the ordinary preparation of this acid fri>m 

 potassium chlorate may be overcome by using the sodium salt 

 instead. The insolubility of chloride of sodium in strcmg 

 hydrochloric acid, with the aid of the acid-proof Ciooch crucible, 

 affords a means for the liberation of the perchloric acid and the 

 removal of the greater part of the sodium in one operation. 

 Sodium chli>rale is heated until it gives ofl' oxygen. When all 

 the possible oxygen bus been given off, and only the chlorideanil 

 the perchlorale remain, the residue is treated with strong hydro- 

 chloric acid and filleretl The perchloric .acid is thus liberated, 

 and the sodium pvecijutated as chloride. Theli(|iiid isdcranted, 

 and undergoes the .s;\me operation again. The solution, con- 

 taining hydrochloric and perchloric .acids and a small amount of 

 .sodium chloride, is evaporated till the former acid is ilriven ofl' 

 and the hea\y\\liite fmnes of the perchloric at'id appe-ar. It 

 is then ready for potassium determinaliims, with which the 

 snmll residue of .sodium does not interfere. The filtering is done 

 by means of a Ciooch crucible, and the operation reipiires le-ss 

 time iind atlentiim than the old jjrocess, and is much less 

 dangerous. — Mode of growth and development of the grapholilic 

 genus I)iplof;)ii/>liis, by K. Uueilemann By the possession of 

 a piieumatocysl and the arrangement of the reproductive organs 

 at the bases of the stipes, the colonial stocks of Difilograpliis 

 have a general .similarity to those of certain Siphotiophor<,\ while 

 the chitinous structure of the hydrothec;v and gonangia can only 

 l)e referred to the .Sertularians. Il thus becomes evident that 

 the genus Jiiplof^aplin, like so many pakvozoic fossils, has the 

 combined properties of different groups, thus giving valuable 

 hints in regard lo the common ancestors of those gmups. ( )n 

 the elevation along the Uocky Mountain range in British 

 .\merica since the ckise of the Cretaceous period, by Dr. (1. M. 

 Daw.son. In the mountains, the cretaceous rocks have been 

 involved in all the flexure, faulting, and overlhrusl suO'ered liy 

 the Palieozoic ; and both in the mountains and foothills these 

 rocks are found iil all angles up to vertical, and even overlurneil. 



NO. 1339, VOL. 52J 



